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Premier Kathleen Wynne’s government should block an attempt by Hydro One to jack up distribution rates even as its CEO takes home $4.5 million a year, Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown says.

Hydro One has applied to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) for five years of distribution rate increases which, if approved, would total $141 a year for an average customer at the end of the time period covered in the application.

In addition to the distribution rate increases, the province’s largest electricity utility also wants to be able to charge its customers more in service fees for its collection activities, disconnections, reconnections, and access to its power poles.

“This is happening in a province where we already have among the highest hydro rates in North America and so I think the premier needs to do the right thing. She needs to say no ... until the structural problems are fixed in hydro,” Brown said Tuesday. “Hydro One (is) asking to bump rates on all their ratepayers while they have their executives being paid obnoxious salaries.”

The Ontario Energy Ministry says that the OEB will reach its own decision on the Hydro One request, but notes that the oversight body has turned down applications for rate increases in the past.

“Regardless of the outcome of the OEB’s process, Hydro One customers will not see an increase to their bills. We’ve been clear that Ontarians will see a significant decrease in their overall bills this summer through Ontario’s Fair Hydro Plan,” Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault said in a statement Tuesday. “Our Fair Hydro Plan provides immediate relief in the short-term by reducing electricity bills by 25% on average for all Ontarians - up to 40-50% if you’re a rural or low-income Hydro One customer. It then holds rates to inflation for the following four years, managing affordability in the medium-term.”

Brown voted against the Fair Hydro Plan, and has yet to produce his own promised energy plan, the minister said.

“We are still waiting to hear how he would reduce electricity rates,” Thibeault said.

The Liberal plan would see ratepayers and taxpayers spend up to $93 billion to purchase $21 billion in hydro bill relief, Brown said.

“This means it was a charade. They give on one hand and take on the other. Typical Liberal math,” Brown said.

Ontario is generating too much electricity for its needs, and regularly sells the surplus off to competing jurisdictions at a fraction of its cost, he said.

Brown pointed the blame at the Liberal government’s Green Energy Act, which he said led it to sign expensive contracts for wind and solar power that is not needed.

A Progressive Conservative government would go back and revisit these contracts looking for a way out, he said.

The Liberals ignored a possible exit ramp on one such contract with Samsung, Brown said.

“These foreign big ugly contracts that Kathleen Wynne signed — we don’t need any of it,” he said.

Hydro One rate increase request (for an average residential customer):